GB1585927A - Fire escape - Google Patents

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION ( 11)

1585927 ( 21) Application No 49680/77 ( 22) Filed 29 Nov 1977 ( 19) ( 31) Convention Application Nos 51/143 102 ( 32) Filed 29 Nov 1976 51/143 107 29 Nov 1976 51/151 387 15 Dec 1976 in ( 33) Japan (JP) ( 44) Complete Specification published 11 March 1981 ( 51) INT CL 3 A 62 B 1/20 E 06 C 9/14 ( 52) Index atacceptance B 7 J 118 E 15 LR ( 54) FRE ESCAPE ( 71) We, MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHKI KAISHA, a Japanese Company, of 2-3, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: -

The present invention relates to a fire escape and more particularly, to a system for allowing an escape means such an escape chute to be thrown down the outside of a building.

Conventionally, when escape means such as an escape chute is used, a storage container with casters is moved to the side of the building, a door of the storage container is opened, support hardware and the escape means is lifted by hand, and it is thrown out of a window This requires a semicircular lifting and throwing action In practice, this type of system is found ineffective because of the complicated and strenuous action required.

In another conventional system, there is provided support hardware which is a foldable structure with the top end connected to the upper end of the escape chute The escape chute is lifted by hand and thrown out of the building Then, the weight of the hardware swings the hardware itself about the upper part thereof to stretch outside the building This conventional system, however, suffers from some problems: the hardware sometimes is not moved far enough from the building and must be raised by hand.

Raising by hand is very difficult when the building is high because the hardware used is strong and bulky With an intention of compensating for insufficient deployment of the hardware, if the number of folding portions is increased or the folding frame is elongated, the deployment of the hardware is made difficult Further, when the building has a rough wall or cracks or the like below the floor with the escape chute installed, smooth descent of the chute is prevented or the chute is subjected to abrasion or resistance This considerably detracts from the proper function of the escape chute.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a fire escape of simple construction, with a view to eliminating the abovementioned shortcomings of conventional escapes.

According to the invention, there is provided a fire escape comprising escape means, hardware which is collapsible and from which the escape means is suspended in use when the hardware is extended; a storage container for storing the escape means and the collapsed hardware; a brace frame provided in the storage container and operatively connected to the hardware for supporting it in the extended position, both the brace frame and the hardware being movable vertically from the inside of the storage container for deploying the fire escape; and means for vertically moving the brace frame and the hardware, the arrangement being such that upon vertical movement of the brace frame a part of the escape means is lifted from the storage container and ejected and that the falling force of the ejected part of the escape means pulls out the remaining escape means and extends the hardware.

The present invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically illustrates deployment of an embodiment of a fire escape according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a front view of the fire escape of Figure 1, with removal of the outer wall thereof for illustrating the storage state in a storage container; Figure 3 shows a side view of the same; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the storage container, illustrating opening of its covers and doors; Figure 5 is a perspective view for illustrating deployment of the hardware; Figure 6 is a side view of the same; Figure 7 and Figure 8 are side view for illustrating the operation of the hardware; to 03 t 1,585,927 Figure 9 shows a perspective view of illustrating a chief part of another embodiment of the fire escape of the invention; Figure 10 is a diagram for illustrating S the operation of the construction shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention, illustrated as in Figure 9; Figure 12 illustrates in a side view a state that a part of the escape chute is thrown down, illustrating still another embodiment of the invention, as of Figure 7; Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the portion of Figure 12 indicated by IV; and Figure 14 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the operation thereof, as of Figure 12.

In connection with the accompanying drawings, directions such as "to the right", "upward" and the like refer to the embodiments as viewed in the respective drawings.

Reference will be made to drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention, wherein like numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In Figures 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 designates a multifloor building at which a fire escape according to the invention is installed Reference numerals 2 a, 2 b, 2 c designate each an escape exit formed in the outer wall surface of each floor of the building, the exit also serving as a window.

Numeral 3 represents a window formed at the escape exit 2 a on the housetop 4 is a storage container of the fire escape installed on a floor la below the window As best illustrated in Figure 4, the storage container is provided at the upper surface with a couple of right and left covers 5 and 5 being both turnable upwardly as shown and at the front with a couple of right and left doors 6 and 6 being both turnable inwardly 7 is a frame member framing the storing container 4 Hardware 8 of foldable type structure is stored in the storage container 4, being folded, in a normal condition When in use, it raises up to the escape exit 2 a and projects horizontally and outwardly through the escape exit to the outside of the building The detailed construction thereof will be referred to later An escape chute designated by reference numeral 9 is folded and stored in the storage container 4 in a normal condition and, in use, is suspended from the hardware 8 outside the building The upper end of the escape chute is secured onto the extreme end of the hardware A basket designated by 10 is fixed at one end on the frame member 7 of the storage container 4 and turntable about an axis 11 In a normal condition, it is accommodated in the storage container 4 and, with raising of the hardware 8, it projects out to the outside of the building and then hangs down Also in the normal condition, the lower end of the escape chute 9 is placed on the basket.

In Figures 2 and 3 and Figures 5 to 7, numeral 12 is a pair of guide rails vertically 70 extending and facing the frame member 7 in the storage container 4 The guide rails are fixedly disposed therein A gate shaped brace member 13 has vertical legs 14 slidably fitted in the guide rails Reference 75 numeral 15 designates a couple of horizontal bars horizontally fixed onto the corresponding vertical bars 14 are directed toward the outside of the building A couple of first link frames 16 are pivoted on the extreme 80 ends of the horizontal bars so as to permit it to be pivotable within a predetermined angular range Reference numerals 17 to 20 designate second to fifth link frames in which adjoining frames are pivotally coupled 85 to each other as in the pivotal coupling relation of the first link frame 16 and the horizontal bar 15 In the normal condition, these link frames are folded with respect to the coupling portions and stored in the 90 storage container 4 When being used, they are exposed above the storage container 4 due to the raising of the brace frame 13 and successively developed as indicated by continuous, alternate long and short dash and 95 alternate long and two short dashes lines shown in Figure 8, and finally developed into a horizontal deployment as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Reference numerals 21 and 22 indicate 100 supporting frames and supporting rope respectively, to maintain the link frames 16 to in'the horizontal deployment 23 indicates supporting ropes coupled between the brace frame 13 and the frame member 7 to pre 105 vent the raising brace frame 13 from inclining forward 24 designates stoppers mounted on the upper portions of the respective guide rails 12 The brace frame 13 raises to engage the stoppers thereby preventing the brace 110 frames 13 from descending The hardware 8 is comprised of the above-mentioned components 25 designates a mounting frame fixed inwardly onto the topmost fifth link frame 20 The upper end of the escape chute 115 9 is fixed to the mounting frame and the link frame 26 represents master ropes sewed on the escape chute 9 and tied to the link frame 27 represents a rectangular tube like upper entrance passage connecting between 120 the link frame and the escape chute 9 28 designates intermediate entrance passages which are mounted on the peripheral surface of the escape chute 9 with predtermined intervals and, in use, fastened to the corres 125 ponding escape entrances of the respective floors The entrance passages communicate with the falling path in the escape chute 9, which may be, for example, a vertical dropping type or spiral sliding type 130 1,585,927 The escape chute is stored in the storage container 4, being folded as shown in Figure 2 and 3 and, in this case, the lower end thereof is put on the basket 10 29 designates an arm having one end attached to the basket and the other end rotatably mounted on the frame member 7 by means of a shaft 11.

The arm is foldable intermediate its ends.

The part of the arm closer to the basket 10 is disposed above the brace frame 13 30 is representative of a tension spring connected between the portion of the arm 29 close to the shaft 11 and the frame member 7 The tension spring is used to force the arm 29 to turn to the side opposite to the building when the arm 29 is pushed up to a given position by boosting of the brace frame 13, as indicated by alternate long and two short dashes lines in Figure 7 A dead weight represented by reference numeral 31 which is coupled with the extreme end of the escape chute 9, facilitates the deployment of the escape chute 9 when the escape chute is thrown down However, this is not essential to the invention.

In Figure 2, 32 represents a DC motor installed in the storage container 4 Although not shown here, a known suitable means couples the rotational shaft of the motor with the brace frame 13 in order that the brace frame 13 slides up and down along the guide rails 12 33 is a manual handle for vertically moving the brace frame 13 by man power 34 is an automatic window opener and the window driver is mounted at the window of the escape exit on the floor with the storage container 4 installed thereat.

This is so designated that a motor, for example, drives the windon 3 to open fully and when the window is fully opened, a detecting switch (not shown) is actuated to stop the opening operation, as in the case of automatic door 35 designates a battery serving as a power source of the DC motor 32 and the automatic window opener 34.

36 a, 36 b, 36 c are start switches which are provided at the storage container 4, the escape exits 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, or a control room of the building Upon actuation of any one of these switches, the automatic window opener 34 is energized, the detecting switch is actuated after the window is opened, the DC motor 32 is energized, the brace frame 13 starts to raise to reach the given height and then it engages the stoppers 24 and at this time another detecting switch is actuated to deenergize the DC motor 32.

37, 38 and 39 are guide curtains stretched between the link frames 16 to 18 and the supporting rope 22; 40 a foot board; and 41 a tension spring for assisting the covers 5 of the storage container 4 to open.

The operation of the fire escape is as follows.

In the event of fire, earthquake or in escape drill, any one of the starting switches 36 a, 36 b, 36 c is actuated to use the fire escape Upon the actuation of the switch, the automatic window opener 34 operates to open the window 3 at the floor where the 70 fire escape storage container 4 is installed.

Opening of the window causes the DC motor 32 to operate so that the brace frame 13 is raised along the guide rail 12 Raising the brace frame pushes up the cover 5 of the 75 storage container 4 to open and at the same time the hardware 8 in folded condition is raised With raising of the gate shaped brace frame 13, the basket 10 and the arm 29 are both raised and the basket turns about the 80 shaft 11 at the end of the arm Immediately before the upper limit of the upward movement of the gate shaped brace frame 13, the tension spring 30 becomes effective to make the basket 10 fully turn to the opposite side 85 At this time, a part 9 of the escape chute or the dead weight 31 are thrown out into a space to pull the remaining escape chute 9 out of the storage container As the gate shaped brace frame 13 reaches the topmost 90 height, the stopper 24 operates to prevent descent of the brace frame 13 and to fix it.

The upper end of the escape chute 9 is connected with the extreme end of the hardware 8 being folded Accordingly, when the 95 escape chute 9 has completely pulled out, the empty weight of the escape chute additionally serves as a pulling force for the foldable type hardware 8 to pull out rapidly the harware 8 into its deployment, and the 100 hardware supports the escape chute 9 If it should not operate automatically the hardware 8 is operated by using the manual handle 33 instead of the motor, thereby causing a similar operation by hand 105 Then, the intermediate escape passages 28 are hauled in through the escape windows 2 b, 2 c, and fixed at the windows with the result that the fire escape is ready for use.

Building occupants enter through the inter 110 mediate escape passage from the escape windows into the escape chute for evacuation The occupants on the floor having the storage container 4 installed thereon push to open the front doors 6 and enter the 115 escape chute 9 through the storage container 4, the brace frame 13 and the escape exit 27 At this time, the escape chute 9 has been thrown out to the outside of the building and the space for storing or accommo 120 dating the folded escape chute 9 is empty thereby to permit the front doors 6 to be turnable inside.

As seen from the foregoing description, the hardware of the fire escape described 125 is so designed that it does not shift or turn toward the incoming crowd of building occupants Therefore, when the occupants rush to the escape window, the escape chute may be smoothly moved to its dropping position 130 1,585,927 thereby permitting a sure deployment thereof and preventing tragic accidents.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the inward turning of the front doors is so designed to be locked by accommodation of the escape chute in the storage container.

As a matter of course, an additional door locking mechanism may be provided instead of such a locking design.

Another embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 illustrating principal parts of the embodiment.

This embodiment provides a smooth deployment of a foldable link mechanism of the hardware 8 shown in Figures 1 to 8 In Figure 9, reference numeral 16 designates a first link frame of which one end is pivotally coupled with the horizontal projection bar 15 of the gate shaped brace frame 13 (Figure 6) Reference numeral 17 is a second link frame pivotally coupled with one end of the first link 16 by means of a shaft 101.

Reference numeral 102 is a bearing plate secured onto the first link frame 16 closer to the brace frame 13 than the connection point between it and the second link frame 17.

Reference numeral 103 designates a couple of transfer members secured to a shaft 104 rotatably supported by the bearing plate 102 Reference numeral 22 denotes a supporting rope connected at one end to the couple transfer member 103 and at the other end to the brace frame 13 When the supporting rope 22 is tensioned, the first link frame 16 is horizontally supported Numeral 21 denotes a supporting frame rotatably mounted to the bearing plate 102 Numeral represents an extension of the shaft 104 extending to the bearing plate 102 of the supporting frame 21 Numeral 106 is a projection provided normal to the shaft extension 105 Reference numeral 107 is a projection radially projected from the end of the shaft 104 of the transfer members 103.

When the first link frame 16 rotates to be in a horizontal posture, the transfer members 103 are rotated to a given position by the supporting rope 22 and at this time the projection 17 engages another projection 106 of the supporting frame 21 Further rotation of the transfer members 103 forces the suppotring frame 21 to rotate.

With such a construction, when the link frame of the hardware 8 is deployed after the escape chute is thrown out, the supporting rope 22 pulls up the transfer members 103 from C to D in Figure 10 as the first link frame 16 approaches the horizontal.

Accordinuly, the shaft 104 rotates to the right in Figure 10 within the bearing of the bearing plate With the rotation of the shaft, the projection 107 of the shaft 104 fixed to the couple transfer member 103 comes in contact with the projection 106 of the supporting frame 21 to push the supporting frame In turn, the frame further pushes the other link frame This extends the hanging length of the escape chute, thus increasing the weight by its extension The in 70 creased weight co-operates with the inertia developed when the hardware is pushed out to ensure a good deployment of the hardware.

As described above, the embodiments 75 shown in Figures 9 and 10 is designed such that force is transferred through the engagement of the shaft 104 of the transfer members 103 with the shaft extension 105 An alternation of it is shown in Figure 11 80 As shown in Figure 11, the pair of transfer members 103 is provided with a bridge 108 across the bearing plate 102 In operation, as the transfer members 103 rotate, the bridge 108 comes in contact with the 85 lower portion of the supporting frame 21 to push the supporting frame As will be seen, this example has the same function as of the example referred to Figures 9 and 10.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the 90 supporting rope 22 for supporting horizontally the first link frame 16 drives the transfer members 103 which in turn move the supporting frame 21 to push the remaining link frame Alternatively, the transfer mem 95 bers may directly push the remaining link frame.

Another embodiment of the invention will be given with reference to Figures 12 to 14.

Figure 12 shows a side view of the escape 100 chute storage container with the peripheral wall removed This shows part of the escape chute 9 dropping while the remainder is being drawn from the basket 10 Figure 13 shows an enlarged view of the IV portion 105 of Figure 12 Figure 14 is a side view similar to Figure 12, but illustrates the succeeding phase to that shown in Figure 12, where the escape chute 9 is almost completely pulled out 110 The members 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 29 are the same as those of the previous figures so that the explanation related to them will be omitted In the figures, reference numeral 214 designates a stationary rope or belt 115 secured at one end to the escape chute 9 appropriately above the extreme end thereof by sewing The other end of the rope is looped The looped portion of the stationary rope is inserted through a hole 216 formed 120 in the frame 7 Reference numeral 217 shows a pin inserted into the loop 215, for fixing the rope within the hole 216 of the frame 7.

Numeral 218 shows a traction rope or belt connecting at one end to the pin and at the 125 other end to the brace frame 13 or to a movable member attached to the brace frame.

The traction rope has a length enough to pull out of the loop 215 the pin 217 connected to one end of the traction rope 218 130 1,585,927 when the brace frame 13 reaches the topmost position.

The explanation to follow is the operation of the above-mentioned construction The escape chute 9 pulled out of the basket 10 during raising of the brace frame 13 continuously and rapidly drops due to its empty weight and the force given when it is thrown out When the escape chute drops by a given length the empty weight of the dropped part of the rope is supported by the stationary rope 214 sewed on the chute at the location appropriately distanced from the extreme end of the escape chute At this point, the dropping of the escape chute temporarily stops Under this condition, the brace frame 13 further continues rising to reach its upper limit of movements At this time, the traction rope 218 is pulled to take the pin 217 from the loop 215 and thus to release the stationary rope from the hole 216 Accordingly, the extreme end of the escape chute descends further At this time, the descending force of the escape chute pulls the remaining chute from the storage container while at the same time rapidly deploying the hardware, thereby suspending the escape chute 9 therefrom.

Therefore, as the brace frame rises, none of the empty weight of the successively dropped escape chute is exerted on the brace frame but a small force necessary to pul up the escape chute remaining in the storage box is merely exerted on it.

The beneficial effects resulting from the just-mentioned construction are as follows:

(a) The force necessary to boost the brace frame is small.

(b) Since the brace frame boosting force is small, the foldable type hardware may be raised together with the brace frame.

(c) The escape chute does not drop immediately to ground and this allows pedestrians walking thereunder to avoid being struck.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, an escape chute was used as escape means; however, a vertical dropping type, a spiral sliding type escape chute and the like may be used instead Further, the escape chute used in the invention is not limited to the chute type as mentioned above, but other suitable types of escape means are available, for example, a ladder type means.

It will be understood additionally that the means to avoid exertion of the weight of the escape chute on the brace member until the brace frame rises is not limited to the means specifically described above with reference to the drawings.

Claims (6)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1 A fire escape comprising escape means, hardware which is collapsible and from which the escape means is suspended in use when the hardware is extended; a storage container for storing the escape means and 65 the collapsed hardware; a brace frame provided in the storage container and operatively connected to the hardware for supporting it in the extended position, both the brace frame and the hardware being mov 70 able vertically from the inside of the storage container for deploying the fire escape; and means for vertically moving the brace frame and the hardware, the arrangement being such that upon vertical movement of the 75 brace frame a part of the escape means is lifted from the storage container and ejected and that the falling force of the ejected part of the escape means pulls out the remaining escape means and extends the hardware 80

2 A fire escape according to Claim 1 in which said hardware is of link frame structure successively foldable in a particular direction.

3 A fire escape according to Claim 1 or 85 Claim 2 in which said brace frame is of gate shape including horizontal and vertical parts, and a basket for accommodating a part of said escaping means is provided at one end of an arm of which the other end is turnably 90 mounted on said storage container and said arm is disposed above said horizontal part of said brace frame.

4 A fire escape according to Claim 2, further comprising: a supporting member 95 for keeping said link frame structure horizontal when said link frame is stretched; and a pair of transfer members moved by said supporting member; wherein a movement of said transfer members up to a given 100 position assists the succeeding link frame to stretch.

A fire escape according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a stationary rope with a given length is fixed at one end 105 on the midway portion of said escape means and releasably coupled at the other end with said storage container, and the coupling of said stationary rope with said storage container is released when said brace frame 110 raises up to a given height.

6 A fire escape substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 or Figures 9 and 10, or Figures 11 or Figures 12 to 14 of the accompanying draw 115 ings.

STEVENS, HEWLETT & PERKINS, Chartered Patent Agents, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, W C 2.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Burgess & Son (Abingdon), Ltd -1981.

Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC 2 A IAY from which copies may be obtained.